The most imminent threat to Phelps Mill, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is fire. If struck by lightning the wood frame building would be destroyed in minutes. Period photographs indicate that at least three lightning rods were on the mill as early as 1900. When the mill closed in 1939, the rods remained on the roof until 1965 when the county board purchased the site as a county park. Shortly thereafter, the rods were removed when the roof was repaired and shingles replaced.
The East Bank Energy Center would re-use existing, historic tunnels and drop shafts attached to the National Historic Landmark Pillsbury A Mill building to produce hydrothermal energy for heating and cooling. The existing tunnels would contain flat plate heat exchangers and the drop shafts would contain turbines. These technologies would replace traditional heating and cooling systems to serve the A Mill and a community micro-grid. This application seeks funding for the consultant who will perform an initial site visit and recommend a scope for a larger study.
